Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation understands that Carrolltown back pain patients often wish to see the source of their pain. (They already believe their pain!) Today, imaging does not always fulfill a patient’s desire to see the source if it is because of an issue like chemical irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging can only go so far in satisfying a patient’s desire to see what’s going on. But Carrolltown back pain patients can believe that their Carrolltown chiropractor will thoroughly explain to them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Imaging recommendations today seem to be all about decreasing imaging exposure and cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific findings, reducing radiation dose and performing more MRI than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which recommends holding off on imaging (in the absence of "red flags" which a thorough clinical examination finds) for 30 days during which time 50% improvement is sought. If a month pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for Carrolltown back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Carrolltown chiropractor typically.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation totally gets this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and drawings are one thing while imaging is much more personal. When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an extra layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and does not always have an obvious reason for the pain. The public and patients believe imaging helps determine the back pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2) That’s likely why patients and their healthcare providers like MRI and xrays.

MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING

Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the concept of imaging for spine problems. Today, medicine becomes more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example, treating physicians depend on imaging to ascertain the severity of it. Specifically, a set of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Carrolltown back pain specialist at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final recovery and pain relief. We realize that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when needed.

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Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how valuable imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final outcome of care.

Schedule your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation to more fully comprehend your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or not because you certainly already believe you have pain. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation believes in its relief. You can, too.